3 kinds of readers:
- Those who are good at reading and love to read.
- Those who are good at reading, but yet “don’t like” to read.
- Those who struggle with reading and do not like to read.
1) Those who love to read.
Your biggest problem is going to be staying current with the newest books. These kids know what’s new and they want to be reading it.
2) Those who are good at reading but “don’t like” it.
This is the type of student that will read if they have the right material. Pay attention to what they read and what books/magazine that they talk about. Non-fiction: informational books, biographies, how-to books or stories that are short. Also, Magazines, Comics, high interest reading appeals to these types of readers.
3) Those who struggle with reading and do not like to read… mainly because it’s hard for them.
Most of us don’t enjoy doing something that is hard for us.
Most of us don’t enjoy doing something that is hard for us.
You know reading is important, but this child just doesn't want to read! Here are 7 tips to help...
7 Tips to help your struggling reader
1) Set aside time to read at least 4-5 times a week. Yes…this will be a struggle since they’re going to buck you. Be consistent… this should be a non-negotiable. These are the types of kids to set page goals with, not minutes. They will know every trick in the book to waste time. By setting a page goal of say… 5-10 pages per day, this gives them some power. When the pages are read, they are done for the day.
2) Use incentives such as…
- Trade time for something they love to do… certain number of pages read translate into minutes to spend watching TV or playing video games.
- Or so many books read= a trip to the swimming pool or a park.
- Or just down and out bribe them…(yes I went there…) Try a buck a book (with guidelines). Some times, desperate times call for desperate measures.
3) Read WITH your child…they read a page, you read a page.
4) Have “reading parties” where every one brings a book and snuggles in a spot to read their book. Sometimes just snuggling in next to mom or dad is enough motivation to read for a while.
5) If your struggling reader has a younger brother or sister, you have just scored big time! Get them to read to their younger sibling(s).
Have them read a picture book. This means the stories are usually shorter (and less intimidating) and probably at a lower reading level (which will make them feel successful when they read it). They get practice reading and the younger sibling gets the benefit of being read to… also very important!
6) Make sure your struggling reader is reading books that are interesting to them. Kids will read “above their reading level” if they find the book interesting. But also keep in mind not all of their choices will be high quality literature. At this point, the goal is to get them reading… and the best way to do that is make sure they are interested in what they read.
7) If the book your kid is reading (and enjoying) is part of a series, try sticking to the series. A series gives your reader the same format, the same characters, and often the same setting for several books. These familiar things will help them understand the story more quickly.
